A place for ex-pupils and maybe any surviving ex-staff to exchange memories of the school.

Sunday, 21 October 2007

Major Dobson

Stephen Fry mentions Major Dobson as a good teacher, and adds that he was captured by the Germans at Dunkirk, then escaped, and fought in Italy throughout the Second World War. I'm not sure whether he was at the school in my time; I don't think so.

4 comments:

Alan Davis
said...

According to the Stouts Hill magazine, Major A.C.C. Dobson started in '67. He taught Biology and General Science and Geography to younger boys. His 'lab' was next to Mr Flood's down the hill next to The Cottage and squash court.I always found him a pleasant chap who liked buyng new cars. Datsuns, as I recall.Other memories of him include the escape of his gerbils from the lab. Some were recovered. Also he took charge of the stock of Feature Films that were shown on Saturday evenings every four weeks or so in the library in New Wing.These were reel to reel ones shown on an antiquated projector. Needless to say, they were many years out of date!Alan Davis

The projector was a Bell& Howell 16mm and was new in I would guess 1969 and must have been one of the things Cromie decided would be a good idea when he became head in 1969. Films were shown in the New Library. The first film was The Dam Busters. The other films were not that old, but there was clearly the hand of Mr Cromie in the choosing what we were allowed to be exposed to. (lots of war films, not many with female persons in them don't you know). Major Dobson got roped in as he was a keen cine photographer and edited his own films etc. I have a photograph I took of him sitting on a ruin at the top of the Drachenfels in Germany with his 8mm cinecamera in his hands.I remember Major D having a green Morris Minor estate, and one of those Renaults with the engine in the back.John MorrisSorry am I missing oput on an Alan Davis Stephen Fry joke here?

Davis you are Dickhead; it was either you or Jurgen Shultz who smashed the glass on the gerbils' cage - I was there. Dobbo almost burst into tears before having an apoplectic fit. Dobbo hated having to teach "reproduction" - "that horrible sex business", as he would say. He was captured in North Africa, not Dunkirk.